Features
Major Features
- Upload either JPG files or a ZIP file full up to 10 at a time. You also have the option to upload your files using FTP and can browse to that folder to import from.
- Images can be in multiple albums.
- Automatic resizing of fullsize and thumbnail images on upload using either ImageMagick or the GD library.
- Automatic sepia and black & white conversions. Allows your clients to see all 3 versions without any extra work on your part.
- Built in shopping cart allows your clients to order prints directly from their proof album.
5 Types of Coupons
- Credit - A flat value given to your client. For example, you could give your wedding clients a $500 print credit. Credits can be used on multiple orders until the value is used up.
- Flat - A flat value off of an order - $10 off
- Percentage - A percentage off of an order - 20% off
- Free Item- Allows you to give your clients a free item. Works great for packages that are included with sessions. available starting with version 1.0
- Free Shipping - available starting with version 1.0
- Expiration dates can be set on any of the coupons.
- Coupons can be tied to a specific album, a group of albums, or allowed for all albums.
- Multiple coupons can be used on a single order. Available starting with version 1.0
Security Features
- Passcode Verification - When you create an album, a unique passcode is assigned. Using this passcode, your clients will be able to view their album as will anyone with whom they share the passcode. Passcodes allow your albums to be secure while still giving your clients and easy way to login.
- User Accounts - Visitors have the option to create a user account for themselves which will allow them to log in with a username / password pair instead of a passcode. The advantage to the visitor is that they can view multiple albums from one login. The advantage to you is that you collect demographic information on your user visitors.
- Admin Accounts - When you log in to your account you are taken to an administrative dashboard that allows you to perform all the functions needed for your albums.
Image Security
Your images are important and need to be protected, but you also need the ability to show them to your clients. ProofBuddy has several systems to help you protect your images, all of which are optional so you can set your proection level to what you are comfortable with.
- JavaScript Right Click Protection - When a visitor right-clicks on your page, presumably to select 'Save As...', a custom dialog message will pop up. In this dialog you may put whatever text you want, although a typical choice is a message about the image copyrights.
- Transparent Image Overlays - A transparent GIF file is placed on top of the fullsize image. If a visitor right clicks and selects Save As or drags the image into a folder all they will get is the transparent image.
- Watermarks - You have the option to place a watermark over your image. This watermark can either be an uploaded JPG or PNG file or text. You can also specifiy the location of the watermark (top left, top center, top right, middle left, middle center, middle right, bottom left, bottom center, bottom right) and the opacity.
- Image Labels - An image label is a small black box placed under the image with your text in it. This is a great place to put your company name or web address.
- User Sessions - Before an image is shown the current user's permission to view that image is checked. For example, if a user logs in and copies the direct address to an image and then sends that address to a friend the friend will not be able to view the image if they have not logged in.
Will there be a compare feature coming soon?
It's possible now, it's just not built in to any of the themes. There would have to be some way to select which of the other images to compare to which I can't really think of an aesthetically clean way of doing.
Hmmm. That would be a real plus. I won't pretend to know how to write a program.. I hesitate to even offer a suggestion... but I have seen on other proofing sytems under the individual image there is a box (or tab) where you can click "compare".. say that opened another window placing the image on the right. On the left side (in this new window)was what appeared to be a blank box with the message "please choose another image to compare" (to make sure they understood) you could then move in your original window, go to another image and click the compare under that image opening it up side by side in the new window? Sorry if that's ridiculous :)
No, that actually makes a lot of sense and is something I hadn't thought of before. It'll probably be a few days but I may be able to some up with some type of theme that can do something along those lines.
I had saw a sample galley and I was really excited to purchase proof buddy. My only concern was that the pictures in the gallery were able to be saved to my computer. Is this normal for your galleries? Is this something that can be fixed? I would not want clients to be able to save their proofs from the gallery, because then they would have no incentive to buy.
J - There's no way to be 100% sure your visitors can't copy images short of keeping them off line. And that's true of any program you'd use. ProofBuddy does have a few tricks to make it more difficult though. The Lite version has an option to block right clicks and display a message which can help. The Pro version adds watermarking and transparent image overlays.
Is it possible to customize the look of the ProofBuddy site to work/look seamlessly with my current website? Can I modify colors, layout, logos, fonts, etc. to match the rest of my marketing; or what limits do you have on what I am able to customize? Do you provide support for these changes if needed?
When I upload full resolution images to ProofBuddy, and it makes my smaller files for previewing and thumbnails, what happens to the full resolution files? Are they accessible by a computer savvy individual or are they deleted so they aren't on a server somewhere? I am not as worried about someone 'stealing' my low res images as someone that can follow the paths to the full resolution versions that are stored somewhere in a database or something.
One suggestion, if you don't already have it, would be a slideshow feature. Possibly even as an add-in.
Travis - ProofBuddy was written specifically to be customizable. Each theme is a series of HTML template files that can also contain PHP if you need. We'll help out as much as we can getting you customized if you want to do it yourself or we also offer a custom theme service - the link is on the right of this page.
Normally the full resolution images are deleted as soon as the conversion is done. The only exception is if you're adding them as digital products (Pro feature). Then they are kept on the server, but they're renamed for storage with a pseudo-random filename and stored in a separate folder so there's not a way to tie the image they see with the filename used to store the image.
A slideshow could be done with a theme. There just aren't any current themes, that I know of, that have a slideshow.
This is all sounding very good Ryan. One more question, is there a way to set up the theme so I can accept credit cards through a merchant account (other than PayPal) and/or have a selection for Cash/Check? I'm assuming this would simply require the proper knowledge and time with the HTML or PHP, correct?
And, just FYI, I don't know if I didn't spend enough time looking over all the possibilities with this software or not... but I checked into this a couple years ago and it didn't seem capable of as many of my concerns as it does now. If it was simply my lack of understanding or research, I'm sorry. If it has grown to this point, you are providing a great product and I am suddenly very interested. I've been paying an upload fee for every gallery I set up for online proofing, this would save me money and provide me with a lot more control over the use of it.
Travis
With the right knowledge you could work a merchant account processor into a theme, although it would take some PHP skills and knowledge of how the merchant account system works and it would be a fairly hacky solution. One of the additions I'm working on for 2.0 will be the ability for a plugin to add different options for merchant accounts which will make it much easier.
And a couple years ago ProofBuddy didn't have what it does now. Version 1.0 came out a little over a year ago and it was the version that I finally considered complete.
OK, so I hope it's all right I keep coming up with all these questions. I have yet another.
With the sale of digital rights on images, can I sell them at different resolutions and with different rights? I do some commercial work and this almost requires the sell of rights. However, different jobs have different needs. Also, I can charge differently based on the needs of the client. So, if I could upload files that are say, computer viewable for websites usage, and full resolution files for printing, that would be wonderful. Also, is there some way to utilize a digital acceptance of terms and agreements for the purchase of the images?
This may be more than you bargained for, but even if it's something you could help me customize, I'd be willing to talk to you more about the cost of such customizations.
Travis
Not a problem. The best ideas come from ProofBuddy users.
Yes, you can have multiple digital files attached to an item, although I don't know of anyone currently doing it.
Right now what you can do is change the comments field to a checkbox that they accept the terms. In version 2.0 you'll be able to add meta fields to orders fairly easily and you could add your own field for acceptance.
What about print packages? Can I offer those through this software?
Stepanie - The Pro version allows you to setup packages.
Hi there. PB looks great! Is it possible to utilise a currency other than USD (say, GBP)? I looked around the site, but couldn't find an answer.
Cheers, Jenny
It's possible on the client side. The currency character is pulled out of the theme settings so it'll show to the clients. But on the admin side ProofBuddy doesn't know what theme is in use for each order so it defaults to USD.
Is there any way to add an image to the favorites gallery on the main thumbnail pages without actually having to click through to the larger image. I do a ton of headshots, and agents almost always refuse to use the site the way it is as it is far too time consuming to look at 300-400 images individually.
It's possible with a theme, just not currently implemented. I'll go ahead and tack that into our suggestion box to be part of a future theme.
Can you change up the options for purchase for each image? For example, can I remove some of the sizes, add a digital copy option or greeting card, etc? And on a more commercial photography level, can I use this for wholesale distributors to access with their own password to view the same gallery as another distributor?
You can price on either default, album, or image. So if you want a specific image to have its own options you can do that pretty easily.
There's not a way built in to do different pricing for different users though. Depending on how many images you might be better off giving your wholesale clients one code and non-wholesale a different and having them link to separate albums, even if those albums have identical images.
You could also use a percentage coupon if you give a fixed discount to your commercial clients.
The wholesale pricing would be the same for everyone, but I'm wondering if they can all have their own password to login to the same gallery.
Ok, I realize this may be a bit out there. But it being the season of Christmas cards. I was wondering how difficult it would be to have a plugin that let people create their own cards that they could order off your site. Like Walmart, Costco, and those type of places. I am sure there is a lot behind those types of programs since you would need multiple templates and the ability to drop pictures in, but man that would be great and I could see that generating a lot of revenue, especially at Christmas time, but even for birth announcements and birthdays. Just an idea.... =) thanks for all you do!!!!
I've seen users add cards to their pricing list just like you would with a 4x6 or 8x10 print. It doesn't show what the card would look like, and doesn't give a spot to write text to put inside the card, but it might be a way for you to have something to start with.
Hello Ryan, I have a question about the reports on the admin end of things. I was wondering if there was a report that showed actual paid cost of orders. Right now it only shows before coupons, I was hoping to see the actual profit I made. Therefore my sales tax is also off, because it shows what it would of been at full price, not what they paid. Thank you for all you do. I LOVE PROOFBUDDY!
Valerie